CASH-strapped defence chiefs have splashed out more than £1billion of taxpayer funds on external consultants since 2010, figures reveal.
And more than £1.5billion was also splurged by the Ministry of Defence on temporary staff in five years.
AlamyShadow Defence Secretary John Healey blasted the Tories for the ‘ever-increasing’ amounts[/caption]
Cash for consultants shot up fivefold from the £26million that was spent in 2010.
Meanwhile, spending on temporary staff surged by 53 per cent between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, Labour analysis found.
Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey blasted the Tories for the “ever-increasing” amounts while “continuing to hollow out our Armed Forces”.
He added: “Since 2010, successive Conservative governments have wasted at least £15billion of taxpayers’ money, have failed to deliver major defence projects and ministers are still cutting the British Army to the smallest size since Napoleon.
“Labour will conduct an across-the-board audit of MoD waste to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.”
The Tories have pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent despite pressure for more.
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